Any trip to the Midwest should include a visit to the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. With the second largest Genealogy Department in the U.S., ACPL is worth planning a special excursion. The 227,000 volumes of genealogical data include compiled genealogies on American and European families. These range anywhere from typed and bound family histories to meticulously researched multi-volume sets. Many are on open shelves in one of the four large research rooms and thousands of others are delivered to your work station by the staff of helpful librarians.

   In addition to the books there are 264,000 items of microfilm and microfiche that can be viewed. Obviously, there is simply too much information available to list but it includes:

Federal Census records 1790-1920

State and Territorial Census records (coverage varies by year)

All available statewide indexes and soundexes

All extant schedules of Civil War Union veterans and widows 1890

30,000 City Directories dated 1964 to present

Passenger Lists dating 1800-1954 (includes minor ports and Gulf Coast ports)

Soundex to Canadian Border entries

Revolutionary War records (including everything from a General Index of American Army soldiers to British Troop records).

Indexes for War of 1812

Indexes to Compiled Service Records of Indian Wars and Disturbances

Civil War Records, both Union and Confederate

100,000 volumes of local records

Miscellaneous Records

Native American Records

African American Records

Canadian, British Isles and German research

Computer databases

Periodicals (3200 current subscriptions)

   Although the sheer volume of the information may seem overwhelming at first, it is made very manageable by the staff at ACPL. The librarians are experienced in genealogical research and are very willing to help. Also, when you first arrive, you can pick up a map of the department and there is a 10 minute video that clearly outlines what information is available and how you can access it.

   There are also numerous brochures that ACPL publishes to aid you in your search. These guides include Heraldry & Genealogy, Sources for 20th Century Research, Adoption & Genealogy, Newspaper Research and special brochures for each of several nationalities. Also among the miscellaneous genealogical aids are 1400 taped lectures on genealogical research methodology. These are available for library patrons to check out. If you have access to a computer with a modem, you may want to check out ACPL's Online Public Access Catalog. It allows flexible keyword searching, but at present does not include all the books in the collection. It will, however, give you some idea of what's in store for you when you visit Fort Wayne. This service is available by (219)424-1330 through the computer modem.

For more information, you can call the ACPL Genealogy Department at (219)424-7241 ext. 3315.

The mailing address is:
Allen County Public Library P.O. Box 2270
Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270

Happy Hunting!

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